Hi

I've recently moved into a house and the house has an Ademco Accord 8 alarm. 

I've never even touched the alarm and I've no interest in using it and the previous owner didnt leave any codes for the keypad.

The other day we had a power cut and the alarm went off until the power came back on which was very annoying and there was no way to turn it off. I've since learned that the alarm goes off if the battery is problematic. 

However I need to cut the power to the house in order to do some electrical repairs.

If I cut the power to the alarm, the alarm goes off so I guess its running on the battery.

So my plan is to get inside the box and disconnect the battery.

Does this sound like a feasible plan?

My problem is that the screw that holds the cover of the alarm case on ( a phillips like screw on the bottom) seems to have a tamper proof device: I can tun it but it just clicks and won't undo.

Can someone advise on 1. would my plan of unhooking the battery and the power shut off the alarm? 2. Is there a technique to opening the case?

 

thanks

ives

Hi Ives,

 

Your problem of the alarm sounding when the power is removed is caused by a defective backup battery within the panel and the sounder on the wall then activates using it's own built in battery due to the loss of power to it from the panel so opening the panel and disconecting the backup battery will not stop the sounder activating when mains power is removed. Ideally you need to replace the backup battery and the sounder will then remain silent when the mains power is off.

If you can't  / don't want to replace the panel backup battery, then it will mean a trip up a ladder to the external sounder and disconnecting it's own internal battery or the sounder component itself to keep it silent when the power is off. The first option of replacing the panel battery would be much better in the long term.

 

Brian

Another thing to bear in mind if you have a power problem when your on holiday, the council will call one of us out to disarm the system and then send you a bill for their time and the alarm co. Funnily we are discussing this very subject in the trade forums. But because the poor home owners alarm was ringing internally they will get three bills one for the locksmith one for the alarm co and the third from the environmental dept. Stitch in time, save bigger bills

Hi Guys.

Many thanks.

I did indeed go up the ladder and disconnected the sounder.

Many thanks !

Just as an aside. If I want to gt a new battery, how do I open the panel to take the old one out? Is there a trick to opening it?

how do I open the panel

claw hammer,

Just as an aside. If I want to gt a new battery, how do I open the panel to take the old one out? Is there a trick to opening it?

Unless you know the user code I would not advise you touch any of it, as its designed not to be sabotaged. But if you diss the external sounder then down power the mains to the internal panel you will achieve any immediate problems. If you decide then you would like to get it up and running then I would suggest you call an installer

Unless you know the user code I would not advise you touch any of it, as its designed not to be sabotaged. But if you diss the external power then down power the mains to the internal panel you will achieve any immediate problems. If you decide then you would like to get it up and running then I would suggest you call an installer

Sorry, I dont understand what you mean by  'you  will achieve any immediate problems'?

So far I disconnected the alarm sounder  and have powered off the whole unit so it's totally dead without any power.

my aim is to get into the main box and replace the battery but I don't know how to get into the main box without breaking something.

thanks

ives

The problem is as soon as you re-power the system, or fit the new battery, it will start to sound and if you dont know the user code you have no way of stopping it. The Accord is fairly old and if I remember correctly the codes on their own cannot be defaulted . Theretofore the system will need to be defaulted completely and reprogrammed.

I think he meant any issues wont be evident until you decide to re-power the system, he tends to speak Chinglish.